Garcia appointed to Council of Economic Advisors

Gov. Lincoln Chafee recently appointed Cranston Public Library Director Edward Garcia to a three-year term on the newly created Rhode Island Council of Economic Advisors.

The council will advise the governor, the executive office of commerce and the state on economic matters and policy, including the strategic economic development plan for the state of Rhode Island.

The task of the council is to provide state leaders with economic data and analysis to better inform and shape commerce and economic development policies and opportunities.

Disposal of bins

With a new trash contract in effect for Cranston and 65-gallon trash and recycling bins delivered to all Cranston residences, the city has planned a city-wide drop off for the old bins, which will be recycled by Full Circle Recycling of Johnston.

The drop off will be on Saturday, July 26 at the Cranston Ice Rink, located at 900 Phenix Ave., from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Edgewood Eagles Great Dane car wash

The Edgewood Eagles will once again hold a car wash to benefit Great Dane Rescue on July 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This third annual event will also include a lemonade stand and tasty treats. The event will be held at Cranston High School East. All donations are welcome.

Astronomy program

An Astronomy Program will be held at the Cranston Public Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Road, at 7 p.m. on July 9. Join Astronomer Scott MacNeill from the Frosty Drew Nature Center and Observatory in Charlestown for a fascinating look at our stars and planets. This program is being held in conjunction with the Summer Reading Program, “Literary Elements.” Contact 943-9080, ext. 6 or central@cranstonlibrary.org for more information.

Meet the author of ‘Eviva Maria’

Cranston’s Bernadette M. Conte will hold a “meet the author” event for her new book “Eviva Maria,” a moving historical account of the difficult but enduring ties between the sister cities of Itri, Italy, and Cranston, R.I., as well as the experience of immigrants from Itri and the efforts of more recent generations to reconnect with their roots and their faith in the Madonna.

The reading and book-signing event will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15 at the Knightsville Gazebo, located at the corner of Park Avenue and Cranston Street.

BankNewport involved in summer food drive

The community is invited to join BankNewport and OceanPoint Insurance Agency (OPIA) this summer to show support for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank in its efforts to provide food for local children in need.

Beginning this week through July 19, all BankNewport and OPIA locations will be collection locations for community donations of “kid friendly” food items, including breakfast cereal, granola bars, canned/bagged pasta meals, mac’n’cheese and peanut butter. All items are non-perishable and are not limited to specific brand names.

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1982. For more than 30 years, the Food Bank has been a vital part of the state’s hunger safety net. In FY13, they distributed nearly 10 million pounds of food through their network of 178 member agencies at 223 sites statewide centers. Their member agencies are feeding more than 63,000 people each month. One in three served was a child under the age of 18.

Cranston Chamber of Commerce to host ‘Taste of Garden City’

The Greater Cranston Chamber of Commerce has announced upcoming events.

Please join them on July 11 for morning coffee, delicious pastries and connecting at Panera Bread on New London Ave.

This month’s Business After Hours will be held at Brutopia, Cranston’s only microbrewery, on July 21. You can sample the different beers, take a tour of the brewery and smokehouse as well as network with fellow business professionals.

In August, in partnership with Garden City Center, the Chamber will present what will be the most delicious networking event of the summer – “A Taste of Garden City.” The event will be held on Aug. 18 outdoors at the Gazebo, and the rain date is Aug. 19.

3 Cranston residents to take on Pan-Mass Challenge for Dana-Farber

On Aug. 2-3, three residents from Cranston will participate in the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country.

They will be among 5,800 cyclists who will ride with the collective goal of raising $40 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.

Best wishes to Michael Butler, William Holt and Andrew Pete.

25th reunion for East class of ’89

The Class of 1989 from Cranston High School East will be holding their 25th reunion on Nov. 29 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet.

The event will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cost is $65 per person and $120 for two people, with payment allowed by Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and check.

For more information, contact Jason Bouchard at 401-868-0326 or etherealjb@hotmail.com.

Project Undercover with Cranston Knights of Columbus

An estimated 45,000 kids in Rhode Island don’t have access to clean, new underwear, socks and diapers.

To help address the problem, Cranston Knights of Columbus #1738 will be holding Project Undercover.

Project Undercover provides these necessities to children living in poverty. Bring all brand new and unopened packages of undergarments, socks and diapers to the boxes at the Council’s home at 1047 Park Ave.

Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor recruitment

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ocean State is continuing their drive to recruit male and female mentors for the approximately 100 children who are currently on the waiting list.

Boys and girls ages 7 to 15 throughout the state are waiting to be pared with a volunteer for six to eight hours a month for a minimum of a one year commitment.

For information on how you can be a mentor, contact a match support specialist at mentoring@bbbsos.org or 401-921-2434.

Academic News & Notes

Julie Martin, a resident of Cranston and a junior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, is listed on the honor roll with distinction. To be listed on the SMU honor roll with distinction, students must be in the top 10 percent of their school of record. SMU’s spring 2014 enrollment included 10,614 students.

Congratulations to Kelsey Murphy of Cranston, who was named to the Marist College dean’s list for the spring 2014 semester.

Congratulations to Cranston’s Sara Moore, a student at Rhode Island College, who is majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and behavioral neuroscience, for her achievement.

Moore, an honors student and co-president of RIC’s Biology Club, has been engaged in two years of field and laboratory research on greenhouse-gas-producing bacteria in the saltmarshes of Narragansett Bay. She has been on the dean’s list every year for four years achieved numerous honors and awards for exceptional research in the biological sciences. As a student, Moore was also a clinical research assistant for two years in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Women and Infants Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, conducting a randomized trial to prevent congenital cytomegalovirus. Recently, she was hired as a clinical researcher for a lab in Boston to study glaucoma. Moore intends to go on to medical school to conduct research in a hospital setting. She volunteers at Hasbro Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (2012 to present) and at Rhode Island Hospital (2011 to present).

The following Cranston residents earned degrees from Stonehill College: Lauren Moore, bachelor of arts; Anthony Pagano, bachelor of science in business administration.

Emily Tilton of Cranston has been named to the Plymouth State University dean’s list for the spring 2014 semester.

Congratulations to Robert Madonna of Cranston, who was awarded a bachelor of science degree in exercise and sport physiology from Plymouth State University at its 143rd commencement ceremony.

Bryant University has announced that the following Cranston residents were named to dean’s list for the spring semester: Jianny Bautista, a junior studying finance; Michael Beck, a junior studying human resource management; Jeffrey Castelli, a senior studying accounting; Ronald DeCosta, a sophomore studying marketing; Michael DeRobbio, a junior studying finance; Jason DiFusco, a junior studying accounting; Narine Hagopian, a senior studying accounting; Phonmany Kompradith, a senior studying accounting; Joseph McCabe, a senior studying accounting; Pascal Mihigo, a senior studying actuarial mathematics; Allison Miller, a sophomore studying communication; Katie Phung, a senior studying management; David Pulsifer, a junior studying finance; David Rossi, a senior studying finance; Brandon Salk, a sophomore studying accounting; Cory Santilli, a junior studying marketing; Cindy Segama, a senior studying marketing; and Cynthia Zammarelli, a senior studying accounting.

Congratulations to Kelsey Gonsalves of Cranston, who was named to the president’s list at Plymouth State University for the spring semester.

Leah Scipione of Cranston was named to dean’s list at Mount Ida College in Massachusetts. Her major is funeral home management.

Kelsey Rabbitt from Cranston has been named to the UMass Dartmouth spring 2014 dean’s list.

Congratulations to Lisa Castore of Cranston, who is in the graphic design program in RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, for making dean’s list for the spring semester at Rochester Institute of Technology. Also making the dean’s list were James Moretti of Cranston, who is in the software engineering program at RIT’s B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences; and Alex Nyzio of Cranston, who is in the electrical/mechanical engineering technology program in RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology.

Dean College in Massachusetts is honored to announce the following Cranston residents who have been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2014 semester: Marissa Johnson and Lauren Millerick.

Congratulations to Mitchell Bell of Cranston, who received his diploma from Fairfield University in Connecticut.

The following Cranston residents have been named to the dean’s list at Providence College’s School of Continuing Education (SCE) for the spring 2014 semester: Marelly Espanol-Hiciano, Cody Fino, Deborah Fraielli, Rafael Gardiner and Jina Sung.

The following Cranston residents recently graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI): Robert Cordell was awarded a master of science degree in fire protection engineering; Sarah Dinwoodie was awarded a master of science degree in environmental engineering; and Regina Pedroso was awarded a master of science degree in systems engineering.

Stephanie L. Mulcahy of Cranston has been named to the president’s list at Western New England for the spring semester of 2014. Mulcahy is majoring in neuroscience - course intensive track. Students are named to the president’s list for achieving a semester grade point average of 3.80 or higher.

Did You Know?

We celebrate on July 4, the date in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. But in a letter to his wife, Abigail, John Adams wrote that July 2 would be the day celebrated as “the great anniversary Festival,” as the Continental Congress met that day and voted to approve the resolution for independence. After a draft by Thomas Jefferson and editing by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, it was presented to the Congress two days later. It wasn’t signed by most of the delegates until Aug. 2. And July 4 didn’t become a legal federal holiday until 1941. (Source: July Fun Facts)

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